Arm in Arm
by awesomeinhumanfrom
Summary: Sasuke is a confident, proud, and occasionally arrogant young man. With a variety of colorful, unique women pinning after him he almost doesn't have time for a certain Hyuuga heiress. Almost. Sasuhina, AU.
1. Chapter 1

Lavender eyes flashed through the street, scanning the area for the cheery splash of long, pink hair they so desired to find. Long, dark hair flipped in a cascading waterfall of brilliant hues as the woman began hurriedly walking across the street, her eyes trained on a new target.

She paused before she reached the tall, muscular figure of the man, his wild black hair forming spikes at the back of his head. A pink hue painted her cheeks as she imagined grabbing his shoulder and asking him where her missing emerald-eyed friend was.

She gulped down her shyness, lunging out and brushing her pale hand against his broad, muscular back. As he spun around, his symmetrical, god-like features filling her vision, Hinata lost the will to talk.

Her cheeks turned from a gentle pink streak of a blush to a sunset of warm colors. Her ruby lips fell open as she tried to think of the correct words to form as she faced the Uchiha's uncanny sex appeal.

As she tried to collect her breath and begin to form a sentence the man before her turned his onyx eyes downwards, meeting her lavender hues. Hinata quickly turned her eyes to the ground in an attempt at hiding her family-trademark eyes, her thick, dark lashes hiding her creamy purple iris, but it was too late. Sasuke had already peered into the light, lilac dimension held in the Hyuuga's face, the layers behind her gorgeous eyes growing deeper and deeper with her vast emotions.

He frowned as an unfamiliar feeling bubbled in his chest, his lips popping open to form a sentence as his smoldering midnight eyes examined the curvaceous hourglass figure of the Hyuuga before him.

"Is there something you need?" The sharp, cold tone left his mouth and broke the tension in the around the wayward couple. Hinata slowly turned her head upwards to peer at Sasuke with large eyes, her violet hues refusing to peer into Sasuke's shadowy depths.

"I-I was w-wondering if you might kn-know where Sakura-chan is?" Hinata whispered in a nearly unintelligible voice, her voice shaking and stammering far more than usual.

Sasuke frowned as as unfamiliar feeling of seeking disappointment weighted down his chest, his eyes wondering over Hinata's petite figure. He frowned deeper, whipping his eyes away from the Hyuuga's alluring figure and up to where a vivid blush elegantly stained her soft, flawless skin, her eyes downcast beneath her veil of dark, thick eyelashes.

"I don't know where she is"" Sasuke stated curtly and simply, a sigh escaping as he shifted his weight, his eyes still trained on Hinata's face. Another strange sinking feeling bubbled up inside his chest as a look of utter disappointment contorted the young woman's face, her eyes sneaking a glance up at him. With a sigh, he turned his eyes from her to the gray, cloudy skies dancing above them.

"I guess I can help you look for her. I have nothing to do anyways." Hinata perked up at Sasuke's generous offer, temporarily forgetting her embarrassment and straightening up.

"Th-thank you S-Sasuke-kun, but I couldn't hold you like that..." She trailed off as he held up his hand, waving it in a dismissive, careless manner.

"I have nothing to do anyways. The dobe hasn't shown up and my family isn't home." Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly, momentarily confused at the burst of happiness gathering in his chest at the look of gratitude conveyed across Hinata's delicate features.

"I am in your debt." Hinata smiled gently as her cheeks began to match her ruby lips, a bit of wind whipping her silky bangs across her forehead and carressing her skin. She looked down with a blush as Sasuke sighed, turning away from her.

"You coming?" He inquired as he began walking, throwing a glance over his shoulder as the flustered Hyuuga was thrown into a quick pace. She pursued him for a few steps before matching his steps with ease, a blush on her face as she kept her distance.

She glanced at the Uchiha, noticing with some shock that he had been studying her. Once she had caught him, Sasuke quickly spun his eyes in the other direction in a sulky silence, jamming his hands into his hoodie pocket as a light blush sprinkled his rather sharp cheekbones.

Hinata gave a small, girly giggle, covering her mouth with her hands. With an aggravated sigh Sasuke wondered what the gentleman-like thing to do would be in this situation. He turned to give Hinata another rather obvious and crude look before holding his arm out stiffly.

"Here." He snapped when the Hyuuga simply stared at his outstretched arm, a look of pure confusion masking her face. It took her only another moment to understand what he wanted, hesitantly taking a step closer to him.

Sasuke frowned as Hinata inched slowly closer to him, an uncertain expression glued to her.

"I don't bite." Sasuke growled, jamming his arm closer to her as he quickly closer the space between them, giving Hinata little choice but to submit.

With a colorful blush, Hinata slowly intwined her arm with Sasuke's, allowing him to hold her limb and guide her rather slight figure through the crowded sidewalk. Hinata refused to make eye contact, her boush darkening over her pale cheeks.

"S-Sasuke-kun..." She breathed, her voice barely a whisper floating on the wind.

"Yes?" She gasped slightly, shocked that he had heard her. With a gulp and a blush, she turned her head to the side.

"N-nothing..." She whispered, her voice nearly as soft as the smile Sasuke gave her as her head was turned.

...

Guess what...I'm back! Sorry I haven't updated anything for so long, my email quit working and I couldn't log onto my fanfic account. Anyways, the problem has been taken care of (I hope) and I wanted to write this little 'drabble,' I guess, as a way of saying I have returned! I know, it's a little much on the descriptions and exaggerations, but I was in an off mood when I wrote it. I wanted to practice other couples than NaruHina ;) Anyways, I'll donate this for fun to Fher34. She's a good author with beautifully written stories, definitely check her out! I'm unsure if I'll continue this yet, it'll depend on my feedback. Thanks for reading, sorry about the long AN! ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura, albeit her ferocious temper, could prove to be forgiving and reasonable. After all, she had just graciously accepted a long, tear-soaked apology from her best friend Ino for the disastrous blind date she had been sent on just a few weeks back.

Granted, the unexpected talk with the curvaceous blonde had left the pinkette scrambling to meet her other best friend, Hinata, whom she had promised to see exactly twenty minutes ago.

She bit her heavily glossed bottom lip as her slanted emerald eyes took in the time. She furrowed her candy-floss brows, picking up her pace as she weaved through the crowds. When she broke out of the crowd she saw a sight that made her heart drop out of her chest and her mouth fall open.

Suddenly, every ounce of reason and forgiveness fled the pinkete's heart and Sasuke had half the mind to stomp straight up and pummel her now officially ex-best friend into the ground. There were few things that could make Sakura so angry that her face turned a steamy crimson, as it was now, and two of them were merely pet peeves.

The third was another woman claiming a certain man she considered to be hers, and hers alone. So when Sakura saw Hinata linking arms with her 'boyfriend,' Sakura nearly lost it and tackled the unknowing woman on the spot.

The cherry blossom sucked in a deep, not-as-comforting-as-she-had-hoped breath before preparing herself for what she had to do. She steeled her face, furrowing her brows and making her exotic eyes as unreadable as possible. Then, in a few steps far too agile and graceful for the height of her heels, she pursued Hinata and Sasuke.

"Hinata." Hinata immediately recognized Sakura's voice, though mildly confused by the woman's tone. She had never heard so much raw hatred intertwined with the pinkette's voice, especially not melded with her own name.

She turned her head to see Sakura, only to nearly jump at the cold, ruthless expression adorning Sakura's typically friendly, pretty features. Hinata immediately stopped walking, worry becoming evident on her face.

"Sakura-chan? Is something wr-wrong?" Hinata stammered as Sakura took a sudden step towards her, lunging out and grabbing her arm. A false, exaggerated smile came over the pinkette's face.

"Hinata, let's talk." She hissed, her attention focused solely on the now terrified heiress.

"Sakura." The cold, thick voice cut in, surprising both women. Sakura turned her cold emerald eyes to the Uchiha, their icy tint becoming light and happy at the sight of him.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun?" Her typical, over-zealous tone returned, an honest smile on her face as she admired Sasuke's flawless features. Sasuke frowned when he noticed that her vulture-like grip on the startled Hyuuga's arm never faltered.

Sasuke was momentarily confused by his sudden urge to lunge out and pry Sakura's hand off of Hinata's arm. He scowled, confused as to why he would want to go out of his way to protect the Hyuuga. With an aggravated sigh, he chose to follow his urges, despite the fact that he considered them ridiculous.

"Let go of her." To reenforce his words, Sasuke reached out and gave Sakura's hand a subtle smack.

That was enough to detach Sakura from Hinata, releasing her arm and revealing that Sakura's nails had left small marks. Hinata rubbed her arm, a pained expression on her face. Sasuke felt a strange throb in his chest at the flicker of sadness behind Hinata's wide, lavender eyes. Almost on instinct he turned towards the cause of the woman's sadness, a cruel glint in his onyx eyes. His target only happened to be a certain already-enraged pinkette.

"Sakura, what do you think you're doing?" Sasuke found himself moving in front of the Hyuuga, glaring down at the now-baffled Haruno.

"W-what do you mean, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura quickly inquired, her eyes widening at his angry, offended expression. Sasuke's eyes narrowed even further, earning a small wince from Sakura.

"S-Sasuke-kun, S-Sakura-chan didn't m-mean anything." Hinata stammered over her words as she came around from behind Sasuke's back. Sakura felt a twinge of renewed anger as she began mentally blaming the entire situation on the naive Hyuuga, despite the fact that she was taking her side.

Sasuke's only response was a loud grunt before taking Hinata's arm, staring her off. Hinata gave a surprised exclamation as she was pulled along.

"But, Saku-" She began, only to be interrupted.

"Forget her." Sasuke snapped before turning to throw a glare over his shoulder. He was shocked when he saw that the pinkette wasn't there. He gave another grunt, this one of irritation, before turning towards the Hyuuga.

"Where do you live?"

...

Thanks for all the reviews ;D I really appreciate all the feedback! Anyways, I apologize for making Sakura a bit unlikeable. Really, she probably wouldn't act like that, but for the sake of some Sasuke-taking-Hinata's-side cuteness it had to be. I'll try to make Sakura be a good girl (though it probably won't happen. Apologies to the sakura-lovers!) Once more, I would like to thank everyone who chipped in a review! It means lots ;)


	3. Chapter 3

At first, Hinata was perturbed by Sasuke's sudden, rather strange question. She then realized that the Uchiha merely intended on taking her home.

"Oh, well I promised Sakura-chan that I would meet up with her for a convention..." Hinata trailed off, her blush growing as she noticed Sasuke's narrow, alluring eyes studying her.

"Is the convention important?" Hinata was mildly surprised by the abruptness of Sasuke's words and she turned her head in order to express her confusion. However, her wide, pallid amethyst hues caught his colorless orbs. She stared into the shadowy dimension of his eyes, momentarily caught in his onyx gaze.

"Well, is it?" Sasuke said in an impatient tone as he tried to resist becoming entrapped in the lavender seas of emotion that hid within her eyes.

Hinata was brought back from the Uchiha's stygian orbs by his sharp tone, averting his gaze from his towards the worsening condition of the sky.

"N-not really, it's optional." She whispered as a fat drop of rain plummeted from the sky. She held out her hand, watching it was it hit her pale palm. She turned towards the Uchiha with an open smile, partially closing her violet hues.

"It's so beautiful when it rains." Hinata stated in a warm, inviting tone that made Sasuke's head spin. He blinked at the Hyuuga as a giggle left her plump lips. She turned to him as the rain began picking up, a wide grin on her face. Sasuke watched as she continued to enjoy the rain with a rather puzzled expression, observing as she twirled underneath the gray sky.

He had never expected the shy Hyuuga to react like this to anything, and to see her do so was weird...in a good way. A small smile found its way to his own face as he closed his eyes, turning his face up to the heavens and enjoying the icy trails the rain left on his face. He had to admit, the feeling of the cool liquid against his skin was rejuvenating. When he opened his eyes he noticed that the Hyuuga had gotten far ahead of him. He furrowed his brow, his moment lost as he rushed after the overjoyed woman.

"Hinata, wait!" He yelled, gathering the Hyuuga's attention. She turned to him, laughing lightly as she tucked her dark, wet hair behind her ear. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful the Hyuuga looked in the rain, a jovial smile on her face. A small, light pink blush met his own face as he walked towards her, jamming his hands into his hoodie.

"Sorry about that, Sasuke-kun," She giggled as she kicked through a puddle of rain. "I got a little carried away." She beamed at him again, a beautiful smile that took his breath away and made his blush a few shades darker.

"It's..fine...let's get home before the rain gets worse." Sasuke said as he turned his eyes towards the sky, observing the fact that the fluffy gray clouds were turning an ugly shade of black. Hinata turned her own vision up to the sky, grimacing at the darkening skies and the increasing downpour.

"We should probably hurry." She noted, earning a nod from her dark-eyed counterpart. Suddenly, a blast of thunder sounded above them, earning a grimace from both of them.

"We need to move." Sasuke yelled, grabbing Hinata's wrist and pulling her along hurriedly. She let out a small yelp of surprise before she began meeting his pace, running after him. At the contact of his hand on hers a blush enwrapped her face. She couldn't help but notice how nice his skin felt against hers, how perfect he felt. Her blush deepened at those thoughts and she turned her eyes from his hand towards his back. A sudden knot formed in her stomach as she studied him, a strange feeling making her heart pound and her breath come in short gasps. With a shake of her head she dismissed it to the fact that they were running quickly through the rain.

"Where are we going?" Hinata yelled over the wind, puzzled when they passed the turn that led to her house. A frown crossed her face when she was ignored by the Uchiha, who merely continued running. A sudden wave of panic burst into her chest as she slowly realized their destination. Her best guess was a place that sent butterflies through her stomach and a wave of nausea and nervousness throughout her body. Sasuke's home, the Uchiha Compound.

...

Thanks! I just want to thank everyone again for sending one of your absolutely sweet reviews! Now, back on track, I would like to mention that I am considering some NaruSaku for this story? Yes? No? Maybe so? I don't know, tell me what you think in the reviews ;) Pretty please? Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope that this chapter was enjoyable! Thanks again!


	4. Chapter 4

When Sakura reached her home her clothes were completely soaked through, her body would not stop shaking, her hair was frizzy beyond recovery, and her anger seemed to have doubled during the trek to her small, lack-luster apartment.

She was suddenly regretting moving out of her parents' large, nice, and exceedingly well-furnished home as she stomped across her wooden floors, ignoring the trail of water she left behind her.

She paused from her skulking to peer into the mirror, wandering what had happened for her to end up like this. She bit her lip, turning away as tears began to well up in her emerald eyes.

Luckily for the downtrodden pinkette, she knew just what would put her in a better mood. She prepared a hot chocolate, a steaming bubble bath, and her romance novels. As she made her pouty trek towards her bathroom she paused to pick up her phone, smiling as she imagined calling Ino in order to throw a pity-party.

As Sakura submerged herself into the mass of cinnamon scented bubbles she held her phone by her ear. She had long-since memorized the bubbly blonde's number, dialing it quickly as she awaited Ino's familiar upbeat voice.

Sakura adjusted herself to her most comfortable position within her hot tub, loving the way the hot water seemed to relax her and take away her worries.

She blew one of the bubbles across the tub, giggling as it floated in the air for a few seconds. She had nearly forgotten the entire situation with Sasuke and Hinata. That is, until she heard Ino's voice.

"Sakura, what is it?" Ino hissed quickly the moment she picked up her phone. She glanced hurriedly over at the impatient customer she was currently trying to serve. She quickly scanned the items, pressing them into a bag. She handed it over with a half-hearted smile, ignoring the pointed glare the grouchy man sent her before she returned to the phone call.

"I'm in the middle of my shift! This had better be the freaking biggest news alert since man hit the moon!" Ino snarled as she rushed to serve yet another irritated customer, her long, honey-colored hair flipping about in the air behind her as she reached for new items to scan.

"Don't worry, piggie, it's big stuff." Sakura claimed, frowning at the tone Ino had taken with her. She held up a mass of the pink-tinted bubbles, blowing them across her bathroom.

"It'd better be, Sakura. If I get fired for nothing I'm going to personally kill you!" Ino hissed as she gave the grouchy woman on the other side of the counter a sheepish smile. She forked over the products, rolling her eyes as the woman said something about contacting her manager.

She leaned across the counter, smiling as she realized there were no more customers for her to serve right then. She began focusing her attention solely on the pinkette on the other end of the phone call.

"Now spill it." She grinned, her sea-blue eyes scanning the store for any more people.

"Alright, you know how I was gonna meet Hinata today?" Sakura spat out Hinata's name as she readjusted the way she was sitting in her tub. She leaned against the edge of the tub, turning on her jacuzzi and relaxing deeper within the water.

"Yeah." Ino said, picking at her newly manicured nails. She frowned as she discovered a small split end, mentally cursing.

"Well, when I got there Sasuke-kun and Hinata were walking across the streets, arms locked!" Sakura exclaimed, her brows furrowing.

As soon as the words left the pinkette's mouth Ino's baby blue eyes widened.

"Wait, what? Are you serious! Hinata, the girl who passed out when Naruto touched her in sixth grade!" Ino's tone was filled with disbelief and she let out a small chuckle as she straightened her back. She listened intently to Sakura, temporarily forgetting Sakura's decade-old infatuation with the Uchiha.

"Why would I lie about another girl touching my Sasuke-kun?" Sakura snapped, annunciating the word my.

Ino was slightly confused by Sakura's tone until memories of Sakura's unreturned, unrequited love flowed into her mind. A slow, mischievous smirk stretched across her face.

"Oh," She said slowly, stretching out the word before letting out a small chuckle. "I see what the problem is. You are jealous." Ino snickered as Sakura let out a loud shriek as if she had been injured.

"I am not jealous! I am infuriated! I wouldn't touch Naruto because I know Hinata likes him! That is the friendship code of conduct!" Sakura exclaimed hatefully, her brows rising as realization hit her. She could suddenly guess her age-old friend's next words.

"And if she broke the code of conduct..." Ino trailed off, a wide, bemused smirk stretching across her face.

"I can." Sakura said in a slightly darker voice as she clicked her phone off, setting it next to her as a plan entered her head. She relaxed into the tub, closing her exotic, slanted eyes as she began to find the bath far more enjoyable.

...

And in this chapter both Ino and Sakura appear to be mean...I swear guys, they'll both do better in the future . Anyways, I am officially unsure about the NaruSaku thing...I'll let things go as they will, I guess. Please don't get upset if that happens! Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews! extra thanks for reading and supporting this ;)


	5. Chapter 5

Sasuke, despite his overabundance of intelligence and uncanny senses of perception, could be quite ignorant. One thing he was currently not attuned to was how nervous the drenched woman next to him was, her lavender eyes flickering with doubt.

"I'm back!" Sasuke announced as he took his shoes off, watching as Hinata did the same.

"May I come in, Sasuke-kun?" Hinata asked in a soft, gentle voice as she tried to conceal her worry about entering the Uchiha compound.

"Yes, Hinata. You are welcome here." Sasuke offered a small smile, one that was far different from his cocky smirks. Hinata was taken off-guard by it at first, but her full, ruby lips were quick to mold after his.

Sasuke was rather surprised with himself when his eyes flicked down to Hinata's lips, the gentle curve of her smile seeming to call to him. He found himself wanting to lean down and meet her gorgeous smile with his own, and for a moment he thought he was going to. That is, until the two were interrupted.

"Sasuke? Is that a lady-friend?" With a sigh, Sasuke turned towards the dark-eyed woman in the hall. Mikoto, Sasuke's mother, walked towards the couple slowly, a warm smile stretching across her face.

"And how darling she is! What a beautiful young lady!" Mikoto beamed as a bark blush covered Hinata's delicate features. The older woman giggled, giving Sasuke the eyebrows and earning a haughty snort. Before Sasuke and Hinata could respond to Sasuke's intrusive, match-making mom another voice echoed down the hall.

"Mother, let them be." Hinata and Sasuke both turned towards the voice, their eyes meeting the shadowy hues of Sasuke's older brother. Itachi offered Hinata a gentle smile as he approached the small group.

"You two are soaked." Itachi observed, raising an eyebrow at his younger brother.

"Thanks for the observation," Sasuke snapped, returning Itachi's smile with a scowl. "Hinata and I are going to my room." Sasuke grabbed the Hyuuga's thin, pale wrist and pulled her along. Itachi and Mikoto watched the couple go before exchanging a smile.

"He likes her." Mikoto chirped, beaming at her eldest son. Itachi merely gave her a knowing smile and a shrug before turning to go to his own room, leaving Mikoto alone and to her match-making schemes. Which is definitely not a state in which you should leave Mikoto.

Hinata's blush deepened as the pair reached Sasuke's room, and when he let go of her wrist she immediately began fidgeting her hands. She followed the stoic Uchiha in slowly, looking about his room. The first thing Hinata noticed about the room was how immaculately clean it was.

The second thing she noticed was that there was nothing personal about the room whatsoever. With dreary blue walls, a typical bed, and a few practical things such as textbooks and an alarm clock the room was so atypical it left Hinata's head spinning.

She turned towards the Uchiha as he sat on the edge of his bed, patting lightly at the spot next to him. She sat down slowly, offering him a sincere smile as her violet eyes turned towards the window.

"The rain seems to be clearing." Sasuke noted dully, breaking the comfortable silence that had fell over the room. Hinata nodded, watching Sasuke's face. She felt another strange knot form in her stomach as she longed to see his smile once more.

"I-I guess I'll have to go home, then." Hinata breathed softly, disappointment sinking into her stomach at the thought of returning hime. She smiled at him again, her lavender eyes flickering with emotion as she met his onyx orbs.

"M-Maybe sometime we c-can see each other again?" She proposed, wringing her hands and glancing at him nervously as she spoke. A herd of butterflies attacked her stomach as a light smile crossed Sasuke's face.

"Maybe." He replied, meeting her pale violaceous eyes. He studied the pale, beautiful woman, wondering how he hadn't noticed the Hyuuga before. He internally determined that it had to be the fact that he had always been surrounded by loud people like Naruto, people who could never shut up.

Somehow, he had never had the time for a quiet, gentle treasure like the Hyuuga before him. A small smirk contorted his features when Hinata's eyes flickered from his colorless gaze, instead focusing on his lips.

He watched as she bit her bottom lip, her eyes scouring every detail of Sasuke's mouth. He blinked as she seemed to edge a bit closer to him, her lavender orbs peering up at him through her thick, dark eyelashes. It took Sasuke less than a second to realize that the Hyuuga heiress was giving all the signs for a kiss. And that was enough to make Sasuke question himself.

He licked over his lips, turning his eyes from hers. He gulped lightly, a blush coming to his face as he realized her lavender hues were still fixated on him.

Sasuke found himself absolutely bewildered, all his life the attention of women had never so much as earned an ounce of discomfort from him. Now, he was feeling very, very uncomfortable at the hands of an innocent Hyuuga. He gulped down, clearing his throat as he turned back to the meek woman.

"Do you want me to walk you home? The rain is finished." Sasuke offered nervously, gesturing at the window. Hinata gave him a light smile, her pale cheeks stained a deep red.

"I would love that." She responded, standing up and walking towards the bedroom door. Sasuke found his eyes wondering over Hinata's slim hourglass figure, his own blush deepening. He stood up, not bothering to respond to Hinata as he opened the door for her. He followed her out of the compound, pretending that he didn't notice his mother watching them. He opened the door for the Hyuuga woman once more, following her out into the damp, refreshing day.

...

Sorry for the cliff-hanger! ;) Well, it isn't really a cliff-hanger, but it certainly isn't a proper ending to a chapter :/ So yeah, I'll be honest...this chapter feels a little forced...Sorry guys, I wanted to get one out today, but this chapter is really crappy. Ugh...anyways, reviews and advice are always appreciated! (I really need it) And I would like to give a shout-out to suicune4ever, she has a community of awesome SasuHina fics that helped inspire me ;) Thanks again for all your wonderful support and I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though it is a little...forced?


	6. Chapter 6

Ino was not the kind of person that went unnoticed. With a shimmering ponytail of golden silk, eyes as ever-changing and dangerous as the ocean, and creamy pale skin she was definitely an eye-catcher.

She had grown rather used to the male attention in recent years, the looks she received barely earning a glance from her. She wasn't the type that was made uncomfortable by such attention, instead enjoying in it and basking in their rather raunchy gazes.

However, today she didn't have time to pay attention to the male half of her species as she sped down the sidewalk. She was, as one could say, a woman on a mission. And that mission involved finding her shy, dark-haired friend before a certain pinkette managed to.

As Ino pushed through the crowds, irritation coursing through her veins, her eyes landed on a sight rather unfamiliar to her. A small smile pulled at her lips as she inwardly deemed the couple before her as 'cute.'

"Sakura, last I heard from you you were headed for Hinata's house, right?" The emerald-eyed woman whirled around at the familiar, taunting voice. She turned, her eyes landing on Ino's heart-shaped face. Sakura was quick to decide that she did not like the sly smile pulling at Ino's lips.

"We're not a couple." Sakura was quick to correct her best friend, her eyebrows furrowed.

"You sure? I think you two would be cute together!" Ino grinned, placing a hand on her curvy hip as she studied her friend.

"Sakura-chan, we could be cute together." The sapphire-eyed blonde standing next to the enraged pinkette suggested, a wide, warm grin on his face. The pinkette immediately whirled around on him, anger lashing through her eyes.

"Naruto!" She exclaimed, her voice filled with complaint. Naruto laughed sheepishly, raising his hands as a shield to protect him from the infuriated woman.

"Sakura-chan, calm down..." Sakura frowned at her friend's words, backing away from him. She crossed her arms over her petite chest, turning to glare at the platinum blonde who had set her off in the first place.

"What do you want, pig?" Sakura asked, untangling her arms and releasing them to dangle by her well-rounded hips. Her features slowly began to relax, returning to her typical expression.

"I was going to see Hinata-chan, forehead. You two wanna come?" Ino gestured to Naruto and Sakura with a small, sincere smile.

"Sure, Ino! Sounds like fun!" Naruto grinned at the Yamanaka, running a hand through his messy, sunshine-colored hair. He reminded Ino vaguely of summertime with his tan skin, pulled over rather attractive muscles, clear blue eyes, and his crown of bright hair.

The man oozed with positive energy, his rapturous smile always managing to put his friends in a good mood. Ino returned is over-zealous smle before transferring her gaze to her friend.

"You game, forehead?" She asked, raising an eyebrow and giving her a small grin. Sakura shifted her weight, her face growing serious.

"I do still need to talk to her." Sakura stated, the glimmer in her eyes sending the rest of her message. Ino nodded, a tight, emotionless mask concealing her thoughts. She then turned to the hyperactive blonde member of the group, shooting him a smile.

"Let's go!" She chirped, springing forward and scooping up each of their arms in hers. She dragged them along until they met her speedy pace.

"What's with the rush?" Naruto exclaimed as he moved frantically to match Ino's long-legged gait.

"I wanna see them together!" Ino responded, ignoring the glare Sakura shot her.

"Who together?" Naruto's entrancing smile suddenly dropped off of his features, leaving a confused expression behind. Ino's grin, however, only widened when se realized that she would be able to spread the gossip.

"Don't you know? I can't believe forehead didn't tell you about the new couple!" Ino winced slightly as Sakura's nails clawed her arm. However, she continued to ignore the enraged pinkette.

"What new couple?" Naruto asked before Ino suddenly twisted around the next corner, sending both Naruto and Sakura off-balance. As they came around the corner leading to the Hyuuga mansion two figures came into view.

The tell-tale spiky black hair of Sasuke Uchiha was the first thing Naruto saw. The second thing he observed was the long indigo hair that marked the woman as Hinata Hyuuga. The last thing he noticed was that their arms were locked as they walked across the sidewalk.

"That couple." Ino's words, pronounced with heavy excitement, vanquished any doubt Naruto held about Sasuke and Hinata's current relationship status. He winced as he turned to Sakura, prepared to see the easily enraged woman fuming. He was surprised to see her remaining relatively calm, the only signs of her apparent anger being the deep red of her cheeks and the glimmer of fury within her slanted eyes.

"Oh." Naruto watched, his expression twisting into worry. Suddenly Sakura's terrible mood when she had called him made a lot more sense. He watched with wide eyes as Sakura's hands clenched into fists. She made her way across the street quickly, her pace close to a full-out run as her emerald eyes locked upon her target.

Before she reached said target she released her fists, relaxing herself and letting out a deep breath. When she opened her eyes she focused on Hinata and her crush, an eery rage tucked away in the emerald depths of her eyes. First things first she had to be calm.

Even if Hinata had technically betrayed her the Hyuuga was still her friend. Until she could confirm anything she would have to treat her as such.

"Sasuke-kun, Hinata-chan," She forced out the endearing honophorics, an insincere smile on her face. She watched as the couple turned to her.

"S-Sakura-chan?" Hinata's voice was feint, her heavily-eye lashed lavender hues reflecting her worry. "Are you still upset?" A wave of relief ran through her as the pinkette shook her head, her long candy floss hair flipping about her.

"Actually, I'd like to just talk."

...

I am so sorry! It took me forever to get this out -_- And I rushed through it too ~ Argh! I've been so busy, guys! I'm trying to catch up, but I might have to stop writing for random periods of time. This year's keeping me really busy...Especially since I was sick for a while and I have to catch up on all the quizzes and it's just terrible...Anyways, sorry that this chapter royally sucks. It was all I had time for :/


	7. Chapter 7

"T-talk?" Hinata whispered, turning to give Sasuke a small look. Sasuke narrowed his onyx orbs, shaking his head in an almost unnoticeable fashion. Hinata brought her eyebrows together, her delicate features openly expressing her uncertainty. She turned to Sakura, observing the tight smile pulled across Sakura's pink lips.

"Sakura-chan, we can always talk, that's what friends are for." Hinata offered a nervous smile, watching as Sakura's face relaxed, her expression returning to her typical, rather cutesy face. Hinata turned her head when an arm wrapped loosely around her.

"Hinata-chan!" Hinata peered over at Ino, a small blush arriving on her face at how her friend easily invaded her personal space. She met Ino's sly, ever-changing teal hues with a light smile, her lavender eyes twinkling jovially at the sight of a friend she could count on. Usually. After all, it seemed that Ino had her own agenda most of the time.

"Ino-chan, I h-haven't seen you in a while." Hinata weakly returned the hug, wishing that Ino would release her. And then she saw him.

"Hey, Hinata-san! We haven't talked in ages!" Her face turned a deep crimson, her entire body freezing and losing the ability to talk or think.

She simply stood and stared at the man in front of her, her ruby lips parted and her pallid amethyst hues wide. She only regained her ability to speak when she received a nudge from her ever-reliable friend.

"Oh, h-hi N-Naruto-san." She stammered, pressing her fingers. Her pomegranate hues stayed firmly on the ground, her gaze not daring to travel up to her crush's perfect, sparkling sapphire orbs. She bit her lower lip as she imagined him thinking she was a total freak-show, or something worse due to her shy, reserved nature.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata's eyes dared to come from the ground at the sound of the honey-sweet voice gliding to her ears. She peered up, her mouth dropping open at the sight before her.

"Eh? Sakura-chan?" Naruto had, for the majority of his life, only dreamed of something like this happening. He looked down at the pinkette embracing him, wrapping his arms around her in a slightly awkward hug.

He was far from close to understanding how the cherry blossom's mind worked, but her wasn't about to turn down any affection from the female side of his species. Especially if that female happened to be cute, as he had long-ago deemed Sakura.

Naruto got an unpleasant surprise, however, when he turned his head to meet a nasty glare from Sasuke. He rose an eyebrow, staring at Sasuke's hateful scowl. Sasuke then turned his head, and Naruto followed his gaze to see the Hyuuga heiress' staring in horror at the sight before her, tears bubbling up in her eyes.

Suddenly, Hinata ripped away from Ino's loosegrasp, turning and rushing down the sidewalk. Before anyone could react she was already within the Hyuuga compound, separated and hidden from the world.

"Huh? What just happened?" Naruto, who was now something past confused, twisted his head to move his questioning gaze between Ino and Sasuke. Ino's expression was unreadable, and the blonde turned and began walking towards the building the heiress had disappeared into.

"You idiot." Sasuke's voice was cold, his onyx eyes flashing with anger. His gaze, surprisingly enough, was not set on the one he had long since deemed the 'dobe.' Instead, they were focused on the pinkette that was separating herself from the blue-eyed boy she had just been embracing.

Sakura innocently pointed a finger at herself, raising an eyebrow as a shield against Sasuke's piercing gaze. The Uchiha only continued his glare, his eyes studying the Haruno woman. Then, with a spiteful grunt, he pushed past the pinkette and the blonde, making his way haughtily back towards his house.

"What crawled up his ass and died?" Naruto questioned, turning towards Sakura. Sakura simply looked back at him, shrugged, and then turned to slowly follow Ino. Naruto, once more, could only raise an eyebrow. Then, with a defeated sigh, he gave up on trying to understand what had happened and turned to skulk after his age-old best friend.

Ino knocked on the door to the Hyuuga compound, a terrible feeling forming in her stomach. She bit her lip, wondering what she had been thinking when she had talked to the pinkette.

"I shouldn't have told her..." Ino dropped her head in her hands, wondering, once more, what had been going through her brain?

"Ino?" Ino sighed at the sound of Sakura's voice, spinning around to give her rival a look.

"Sakura, I was wrong." Her voice was snappy, her eyes flashing with resolution. "We should've just left Hinata alone. Did you see the look on her face?" Ino demanded, turning back to the door.

Sakura frowned at Ino's words, her face scrunching up.

"Ino, that's what she did to me." Sakura insisted to her best friend, her face turning into a hurt frown. Tears bubbled up in her eyes. "She knows I love Sasuke, yet she wasn't afraid to show him affection! It's unfair to take her side!" Sakura, pouted, her eyes glimmering with tears. Ino didn't turn around to face her friend, Sakura's insistent tone only being met with silence.

"Fine." Sakura finally hissed, her voice barely a whisper. "But don't expect me to ever take your side!" And with that, the pinkette turned and rushed across the street, her eyes filling with tears and her heart sinking with guilt as she evacuated the area.

...

Thanks to everyone for all the support and for sticking with this story! I apologize if I didn't respond to your review, I've been pressed for time with the freaking RIDICULOUS homework I'm getting! Anyways, I hope this chapter isn't too bad or doesn't seem to rushed and that you guys can manage to enjoy it. thanks again, everyone ;)


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